They Criticized the Pastor. So, Being a Great Champion for God, He Resigned.

Quotes on enduring criticism abound. Go online and pull up a chair. Here are a few we found in a few minutes…

-The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment. (Elbert Hubbard)-You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a sign of weakness to get caught up in either one. (John Wooden)
-A critic is a legless man who teaches running. (Channing Pollock)
-You are a glorious shining sword and criticism is the whetstone. Do not run from the whetstone or you will become dull and useless. Stay sharp. (Duane Alan Hahn)

“Christ also suffered for us…when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him who judges righteously…” (I Peter 2:21-25).

Pastor and church leaders: You do not want to live and work where there is an absence of criticism.

You think you do. But you don’t. Only in the harshest of dictatorships is there no criticism. But in a free society—like ours—criticism abounds. If the society is indeed free, much of the criticism is fair, just and well deserved. Likewise, much of it will be unfair, unjust and unmerited. A leader who survives has to develop discernment in order to know what to ignore and what to treasure and learn from.

A friend texted: “Joe, write something about criticism! Some good pastors are resigning because not everyone in the church likes them!”

He and I both find that incredulous. As though someone could do a great work for Jesus Christ in a hostile society without stirring up resentment and incurring the wrath of some people.

Advice columnist Dear Abby used to say, “You throw a rock in among a bunch of dogs. The one that hollers is the one that got hit.”

My friend and I are both retired pastors. We each served churches over 50 years and racked up some pretty fair records, if I may say so. But we took our share of knocks from the critics. Much of it was probably deserved, since we’re both headstrong and opinionated. But an equally large share of the belly-aching was unfounded and unfair. And yet, we survived.

We hung in there and discovered a wonderful truth for those who persevere: The best revenge is the blessing of God on our labors.

We all want the God-called men and women to survive in their labors for the Savior. We want them to understand that criticism will come and to be prepared for it. We want them to know what to laugh at, what to ignore and what to take to heart. And that is the burden of this piece.

To be a leader means you have a target on your back.

No one is criticizing the team’s water boy or equipment manager. But if you are the starting quarterback, the star wide receiver or the acclaimed running back, you should expect to be raked over the coals much of the time. The hope is that the acclaim will outweigh the accusations. But don’t count on it.

If you are the coach, fans automatically feel entitled to second-guess every decision you make. The coach who doesn’t get that will not survive.

In the elevator, I introduced myself to Jim Mora, the coach of the New Orleans Saints. I said, “We pastors can sympathize with what coaches go through. We give our best shots on Sunday and it’s dissected for the rest of the week, fair or not.” Mora said, “Yeah, but do they get on talk shows and television programs and take your sermon apart?” A friend suggested I should have said, “That’s why they pay you the big bucks.”

The person who dares stand in the pulpit on the Lord’s Day to declare the “whole counsel of God” is wearing the target today. True, no one is paying you “the big bucks,” but you deign to speak for God and that makes you a tempting target. It goes with the territory, friend.

Get used to it, pastors.

Whether you are Andy Stanley or David Jeremiah or (fill in the blank with your favorite well-known pastor), criticism will be your lot. You have to learn that fact of life and decide what to do with it.

A reality for church staff members is that when you do poorly, you get criticized, and when you do great, the pastor gets a raise. As a pastor, all I can say is, “Sorry, my friends, but this is the system.” (And I think, “I’ll try to praise you enough to compensate for some of the negative stuff!”)

Blessed is he who when criticized, endures. And, even more blessed is he/she who when criticized can take the well-directed, pointed barbs and come up sharper than before.

Criticism is unfair? Sure. What else is new?

At a Mississippi State basketball game with friends, for reasons long forgotten, I was yelling criticism of the coach. At some point someone in our party leaned over and said, “Joe, the coach’s wife is sitting in front of you.” Yikes. I leaned over and said softly, “You are Mrs. Boyd?” She turned toward me, smiled and said, “Yes, I am.” I said, “Then, would you please forgive me? I don’t have the slightest idea what I’m talking about!” She laughed.

I was quiet the rest of that game.

As I write, the baseball playoffs are in full swing. As a fan—and as a retiree with a nice sports package on my TV cable!—I watch a lot of the games. Last night, the announcers said Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsel is getting criticized for his use of ace reliever Josh Hader. No matter when Counsel brings Hader into the game, some fans will wish he had saved him for a more critical moment. Use him too early and he may not be available when the game is on the line. Said the announcer, “Counsel answers, ‘I got the team into the League Championship series–so you may assume I know what I’m doing!’”

Sorry, coach. It doesn’t work that way. They pay their money, they think they’re entitled to gripe. And for most, it’s all right. Belly-aching is as much a part of the game as cheering the home run.